This timeline shows exactly how the Las Vegas massacre unfolded

The deadliest shooting in recent US history unfolded — as most do — in a storm of chaos and confusion.

Though the enormity of the situation emerged quickly Sunday night, details were still emerging of exactly what happened more than 24 hours later.

The police have confirmed that the gunman, identified as a 64-year-old man named Stephen Paddock, spent three days in Las Vegas before his attack and managed to amass a huge stockpile of guns.

By the time the general public had been told a shooting was underway Sunday night, Paddock was already dead. Here, moment by moment, is how the attack unfolded:

Thursday: Stephen Paddock checks into the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip

A Las Vegas police officer stands guard as traffic continues to be blocked on the Las Vegas Strip after a lone gunman opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest country music festival on October 2, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo: Mark Ralston/ AFP/ Getty Images.

Paddock booked a two-room suite on the 32nd floor, with a clear view over the Route 91 Harvest festival taking place the other side of South Las Vegas Boulevard, the road known as the Strip.

He arrived Thursday, the day before the festival started. He would launch his attack Sunday evening, in the final moments of the concert.

Paddock transports huge quantities of weapons and ammunition into his room

The Las Vegas police say they found 23 guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition in his room.

Nevada gun laws are among the most permissive in the US, but Mandalay Bay itself says firearms are ‘strictly prohibited’ on its premises.

At a press conference after the shooting, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said Paddock took ‘in excess of 10’ suitcases to his room.

Paddock’s movements between checking in Thursday and opening fire Sunday night are so far unclear

10:08 p.m.: Paddock opens fire

Using multiple rifles, Paddock rained bullets on the crowd of 22,000 people below him.

The first official word appears to have been an officer using a police radio to alert a colleague. According to Reuters, a voice could be heard saying: ‘We got shots fired! It sounded like an automatic firearm.’

Twenty-four hours after the shooting, the death toll stands at 59, with more than 500 people injured either by bullets or by trying to escape them.

10:13 p.m.: The police realise where the shots are coming from

Broken windows near the top of the Mandalay Bay Casino, from which a gunman killed at least 58 people with an automatic weapon. Picture: Getty Images

Citing police radio transmissions, The New York Times said the police started to zero in on the upper floors of Mandalay Bay about five minutes after the shooting began.

Here are two lines where officers realise what is happening, both time-stamped 10:13 p.m.:

‘It’s coming from like the 50th or 60th floor, north of the Mandalay Bay! It’s coming out a window.

‘We’re seeing local flashes in the middle of Mandalay Bay on the north side, kind of on the west tower but towards the center of the casino, like one of the middle floors.’

Officers begin to search the hotel.

10:16 p.m.: News hits social media

One of the earliest records of the shooting is this tweet from the user @GLOKMIN:

11:20 p.m.: SWAT teams break into Paddock’s room and find him dead

The damaged windows on the 32nd floor room that was used by the shooter in the Mandalay Hotel and the Route 91 festival venue (front) after a gunman killed more than 58 people and wounded more than 500 others when he opened fire on a country music festival in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 2, 2017. Photo: Mark Ralston/ AFP/ Getty Images.

One hour, 12 minutes after the first shots were fired, a police SWAT unit detonated an explosive device to break down Paddock’s door, according to accounts by The Guardian and The New York Times.

By this time, authorities said, Paddock had already killed himself.

According to Newsweek, officers asked permission to enter Paddock’s room sooner but were told to wait for SWAT teams.

11:58 p.m.: The police confirm that the gunman is ‘down.’

Two minutes before midnight, and almost two hours after the first shots were fired, the Las Vegas police tweeted confirmation that ‘one suspect is down’:

Confirming that one suspect is down. This is an active investigation. Again, please do not head down to the Strip at this time.
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) October 2, 2017

Monday, 12:31 a.m.: Incident declared over

It was not until 31 minutes past midnight — more than an hour since Paddock was found dead — that the police department sent a follow-up tweet saying it thought the dead man was the only attacker.

Two hours, 23 minutes after it began, the massacre was officially over.